Gina G is back ya’ll! I have to say…after listening to her new single, “Next 2 U,” it’s almost like she never left…ALMOST. “Next 2 U” is a fun and infectious dance pop jam with a nice little 80s/90s vibe to it. First released in Gina’s native Australia on May 27th, the single has since been made available worldwide. “Next 2 U” was written by Gina, Billy Pace (Celine Dion), Duane Morrison (Madison Avenue), long time Gina G collaborator John Collins and produced by Morrison and Pace. The single has been remixed by Mind Electric, Loud Manners, Pee Wee Ferris and Jean Paul. The Loud Manners remixes are available to download on U.S. iTunes HERE.
While fans of American club music might recognize Gina G for her kitschy 1996 pop hit “Ooh Aah…Just A Little Bit,” she actually started out in the early 90s, performing with an Aussie dance group called Bass Culture. After moving to Europe in the mid 90s, Gina G entered the A Song For Europe competition, which she won, in turn becoming the UK’s official entry into the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest. The song? “Ooh Aah…Just A Little Bit,” of course! While the song didn’t win (it came in 8th place) it went on to become Gina’s first #1 hit in the UK. Over here in the States the song was also a modest hit, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, #13 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart, #5 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart, #25 on the Adult Top 40 chart and #11 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi Singles chart. The song also earned Gina G her first Grammy nod for ‘Best Dance Recording‘ at the 1998 Grammy Awards.
Gina G continued to have success, more so in the UK than in the States, with singles like “I Belong To You,” “Fresh!“, “Ti Amo,” “Gimme Some Love” and “Everytime I Fall,” all of which were included in Gina‘s debut solo album called Fresh! Following the release of Fresh!, Gina took a break to start a family and recuperate from a tediously long lawsuit against a former manager. Gina reemerged in the early 2000s with the indie release of a Nancy Sinatra cover (“These Boots Are Made For Walkin‘”) however the track failed to get any real attention. In 2005, Gina attempted to represent the UK once again in the Eurovision Song Contest, however this time finishing fifth, losing out to Javine (whatever happened to her?!) who’s song “Touch My Fire“ wound up placing second overall.”
In August of 2005, Gina released her sophomore album, Get Up & Dance (Stuntgirl Music/Universal Records), selling it exclusively through her website (the album became available on iTunes in 2009). In 2006, Gina released a new indie dance recording, “Tonight’s The Night” under her own label, Stuntgirl Music. The track debuted at #2 on the Music Week Pop Dance Chart and stayed there for four consecutive weeks. The video was also a major success, landing high rotation on MTV Europe, MTV UK, VH1 ‘The Hits,’ and a bevvy of other music channels. In 2007, Gina gave birth to her second child and once again disappeared from the public eye to focus on her family.
Now it’s 2011 and Gina G is ready to take over dance floors worldwide with her energetic new pop dance singe, “Next 2 U.” Make sure you download the single on U.S. iTunes HERE and catch the super sexy video, directed by Albert Ong. It’s great to have Gina G back doing music and looking better than ever!